Planned strike action in St Pancras
We have been notified of planned strike action taking place between Monday 8 and Friday 12 December 2025.
We plan to keep all our buildings open during this time with our building opening hours unchanged.
However, we will be operating a reduced service and there may be significant disruption and closures at short notice.
Latest update
All St Pancras Reading Rooms are closed and will remain closed until Saturday 13 December. This means the public areas of the Library may be busier than normal.
Reader Registration is also closed.
Secret Maps and Story Explorers are open. You can purchase tickets at the Information Desk.
Collection access suspension and catalogue launch
Due to the planned strike action, we have extended the collection item suspension period, so collection items cannot be requested until Monday 15 December, which is when we will now be launching our new catalogue. Find out more about the collection access suspension and we will update you with details about the new catalogue as soon as we can.
Thank you for your understanding, we will update this page and our social media channels with any further service updates.
FAQs
Why are the strikes happening?
The PCS union will be taking strike action at our St Pancras site, due to an ongoing pay dispute.
Will any St Pancras Reading Rooms be open?
All our St Pancras Reading Rooms will be closed during the strike period and will reopen on Saturday 13 December (for personal study ahead of the new catalogue launch on 15 December).
If you have questions about the services you can still contact our Reference team but please be aware that there may be a delay in response time.
Will the Boston Spa Reading Room be affected?
Our Boston Spa Reading Room will be open as usual.
Will Reference Services be running as usual?
We will be running a reduced service during this period. Events delivered by members of our Reference Team may have to be rescheduled and they will be in touch as required. We will update further information as and when we know.
Will I be able to order items during this time?
Due to the planned strike action, we have extended the collection item suspension period, so collection items cannot be requested until Monday 15 December, which is when we will now be launching our new catalogue. Find out more about the collection access suspension and we will update you with details about the new catalogue as soon as we can.
Will I be able to renew my Reader Pass?
We are currently anticipating that Reader Registration at St Pancras will need to be closed all week. If it is able to open we will be updating this page with all the details so recommend checking here before you visit. If Reader Registration can open we anticipate it being very busy and recommend that you wait until after the strike period to renew your pass if possible.
Will the Secret Maps and Story Explorers exhibitions be open?
While we are planning to open Secret Maps and Story Explorers as usual, there is a chance that there may be disruption at short notice. We will contact bookers with as much notice as possible if their booked slot is impacted.
I have a tour booked during this period – will that be going ahead?
Unfortunately, we have to cancel all Building and Treasures tours during this week. Our Customer Services team will be contacting affected bookers and arranging refunds/exchanges.
I have another event booked during this period – will that be going ahead?
There is a chance that there may be disruption to events at short notice and we will contact bookers with as much notice as possible if their event is impacted.
How can I find out if there are any changes or additional disruptions?
Individual bookers will be contacted by our Customer Services team if their event is impacted . For general updates about services, please check this pageand our social media channels.
Will the cafés and Members’ Room be open?
We are currently aiming to keep cafés and the Members’ Room open during the week with their standard opening times. There is the chance of short notice disruption during the week and we recommend checking back on this page before you visit where we will update if this changes.